FLIGHT TECHNOLOGY AND METAPHYSICS

In his absorbing, informative collection of essays, Tolkowsky (Homage to Stretcher Bearer, 2009) examines the connection between technology and metaphysics, focusing specifically on the history of flight.

From its beginnings, mankind has been fascinated with the idea of flying and the divine mystery of outer space. In the preface to this book, Tolkowsky speculates that “the problems that engineers apply their minds to and the solutions they find…are strongly influenced by abstract ideas.” He centers his essays on flight technology and metaphysics, based on the idea that man’s ability to fly “served as a starting line for an unfathomable wave of technological innovation and merging of technology with society in its broadest sense.” In Chapter 1, he examines how Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution affected the scientific and spiritual communities of the 19th century. He specifically details Russian scientist Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky’s theory of “Homo cosmiscus,” or the next stage of human evolution, in which man would biologically adapt to life in outer space. This concept of “space colonization” is continued in Chapter 2, comparing and contrasting how people in Russia and the United States have approached spiritual and engineering aspects of space exploration. In the third chapter, the author dissects the religious motivations behind mankind’s interest in space, specifically examining the tenets of pagan sun worship and its strong significance in modern religion and technology. The final chapter explains the early struggles of engineers, scientists and theorists seeking to build a flying machine. With the author’s previous experience as a combat pilot and aeronautical engineer, he clearly shows reverence and devotion to the subject matter. The book’s thesis is unusual yet intriguing, strongly supported with historical facts and developed smoothly from chapter to chapter. The prose is remarkably explanative, if sometimes repetitious, and never weighed down by excessive scientific terminology. Although some of the ideas may be difficult to fathom, the book is often engrossing; readers should be able to understand it without any previous knowledge of metaphysics or technology.

A complex but clearly written account of abstract scientific theory recommended for readers interested in new realms of thought.